Summer in Iowa

I am home in Iowa for a few more days.  There are so many things to love and despise about Iowa.  For example, my sister needed a snack as we were driving to our home.  To our dismay, we were only able to find the following:  

Last night there was a beautiful thunderstorm.  I was doing dishes when the storm began, and as it got more wild, I turned off the house lights and ran outside.  Our deck is pretty much like being in a treehouse.  As the thunder cracked through the trees,  the lightening created a cathedral-like effect, silhouettes of branches appearing and disappearing with every flash, me feeling small and protected by tree branches as the rain tried to push me into the ground.  So wild and so lovely. 

Also lovely:   A deer peacefully grazing through the woods.  Such a delicate, sensitive animal with such beautiful eyes.  Deer are so good at quiet and solitude and remaining alert to everything around them.  A sort of un-self-absorbed solitude.  A patch of lingering sunset light found its way through the branches and leaves.  She stopped just there to nibble something, unaware of our eyes admiring her beauty.  Rustling trees made the light and shadows waltz over her soft body.  A dog barked, instantly her body was tense and strong, she bounded through the meadow, leapt over the creek, and kept running until she disappeared into the dark woods.